Department for Transport

Unmanned Air Vehicles: Regulation

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to limit (1) the distance that drones may travel, and (2) the height that drones may reach to 125 metres, to reduce the risk of potential issues in airspace.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Air Navigation Order 2016 already prohibits flying small unmanned aircraft beyond the line of sight or above 400ft, which is just over 121 metres, without permission or an exemption from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Company of Watermen and Lightermen of River Thames: Apprentices

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Watermen’s Company apprenticeship scheme on maritime safety on the Thames.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department for Transport does not carry out assessments of maritime apprenticeships, nor their impact on maritime safety.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Keir

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the restructuring of infrastructure and development company Keir, particularly in relation to concerns over their financial position.

lord henley: The restructuring announced by Kier on 17 June is a commercial decision for the company. The delivery of public services is not affected by Kier’s recent announcement and we are confident that the company can continue to fulfil their contracts with the government. We remain in close communication with Kier’s management and will continue to discuss their proposed changes. We continue to monitor the financial health of all of our strategic suppliers, including Kier.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Pakistan: Indigenous Peoples

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government when representatives of the UK High Commission in Islamabad last visited members of the Kalash community in Pakistan.

baroness goldie: The British Government is aware of recent media reports that members of the Kalash community in Pakistan have been subject to harassment including by domestic tourists. The UK High Commission does not hold detailed information on all visits, but does not believe it has visited the Kalash community in recent times. We regularly raise our concerns about the protection of minority communities with the Pakistan Government at a senior level.We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in Pakistan, particularly the most vulnerable as laid down in the Constitution of Pakistan and in accordance with international standards.

Sudan: Human Rights

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the role and influence of the Rapid Support Forces in the new government of Sudan, and (2) the impact this has had on the human rights situation in that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have expressed concerns at the past role of the Rapid Support Forces. We have said in public and in private that there must be accountability for the crimes committed by members of the former regime. We condemn the recent violent attacks by Sudanese security forces against peaceful protestors in Sudan, which left many dead or injured. The Transitional Military Council bears full responsibility. The UK, through the EU Foreign Affairs Council issued a statement on 17 June, which called for all human rights violations and abuses committed to be investigated in an independent and transparent manner, and perpetrators held accountable for their acts.

Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the alleged role of the interim leader of Sudan, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, in any genocide or war crime committed by Janjaweed forces in Darfur.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK continues to engage with a range of opposition members, Transitional Military Council and members of the protest movement. As part of these interactions our Ambassador to Khartoum met the Deputy Chair of the Transitional Military Committee, Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo ("Hametti"), on April 15 to call for steps to improve the situation in Sudan; a swift move to a civilian transitional government; and, the release of all political detainees. We have expressed concerns at the past role of the Rapid Support Forces. We have said in public and in private, that there must be accountability for the crimes committed by members of the former regime. We condemn the recent violent attacks by Sudanese security forces against peaceful protestors in Sudan, which left many dead or injured. The Transitional Military Council bears full responsibility.

Cabinet Office

Cybercrime

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have to make public advice available to prepare for the threat of a category one cyberattack.

lord young of cookham: In the event of any major cyber incident, the National Cyber Security Centre will ensure that the right technical advice is issued quickly and directly, and that the public are kept informed. As no two cyber incidents are identical, public communications will always be tailored to the specifics of a cyber attack.

Department of Health and Social Care

Drugs: Misuse

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction's European Drug Report 2019: Trends and Developments, published in June 2019, and in particular the findings that the UK has the highest rate of cocaine use among young adults in Europe with almost five per cent of 15–34 year-olds having used cocaine in the last 12 months and three per cent of schoolchildren aged 15–16 having tried the drug; and whataction they plan to take as a result of these findings in order to reduce drug use amongst young people, including any plans to establish effective prevention strategies and drug recovery services.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: We are concerned by the findings of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction’s European Drug Report 2019 on the prevalence of cocaine use in the United Kingdom, especially among younger people. The Home Secretary has appointed Professor Dame Carol Black to lead a major review which will build on existing Government strategies to combat drugs and will examine the harms that drugs cause and the best ways to prevent drug-taking. The report will also examine the drivers behind recent trends such as the increased recreational use of Class A drugs by young adults. The plan is for Dame Carol to present the Home Secretary with a report detailing her key findings and proposals by the end of the summer. The outcome of this meeting will shape phase 2 of the review. The Government will respond to recommendations made in the report once it is finalised and published.

Patients: Learning Disability

baroness thomas of winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with care providers following the abuse of patients with learning disabilities at Whorlton Hall hospital filmed by the BBC's Panorama programme, aired on 22 May.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Government has had no discussions on this matter with care providers directly. The Care Quality Commission, the independent inspectorate of hospitals and adult care homes, has commissioned an independent review of its inspection and regulatory approach to Whorlton Hall, which should inform work to ensure the appropriate oversight of care provided to people with a learning disability.On 21 May 2019, I laid a written statement (HLWS1533) in which it was announced that the National Health Service would be strengthening its existing oversight arrangements. Where someone with a learning disability and/or autism is an inpatient out of area they will be visited every six weeks if they are a child and every eight weeks if they are an adult, on site. The host clinical commissioning group will also be given new responsibilities to oversee and monitor the quality of care for hospitals in their local areas.

Yellow Card Scheme

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) encourage pharmacists and clinicians to make full use of the Yellow Card Schemeto report adverse drug reaction to the Medicines and Healthcare products RegulatoryAgency,and (2) improve direct patient access to the scheme and to seek patients views on it.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has a strategy to improve engagement with the Yellow Card Scheme as well as to increase access through a wide variety or reporting mechanisms, for both healthcare professionals as well as for patients.The MHRA has expanded the mechanisms through which reports of side effects can be made. Most recently a new mobile reporting application was delivered, which also includes helpful information about medicines. The MHRA is also continuing to integrate with clinical systems within primary and secondary care to make reporting faster and more accessible to healthcare professionals which has already driven reporting rates up and will continue to do so with the inclusion of more clinical systems.The MHRA actively promote the Scheme through regular awareness campaigns (both locally and internationally), attendance at conferences and patient groups, satellite Yellow Card centres that promote locally and the MHRA also provides a range of educational materials to support understanding of the Scheme and the work that the MHRA does.An important mechanism to maximise use of the Scheme by healthcare professionals and increase its impact is the National Medication Safety Network, which consists of approximately 450 Medication Safety Officers (MSOs), who raise awareness for reporting of side effects due to medication errors. MSOs are mostly pharmacists based within hospital trusts who encourage local and national learning as well as improve reporting.The MHRA regularly communicates safety information through a monthly electronic newsletter called Drug Safety Update which informs healthcare professionals about the latest medicines safety issues and is always coupled with messages to report suspected adverse drug reactions to the Yellow Card Scheme.To improve accessibility and transparency, the MHRA has publicly available online interactive Drug Analysis Profiles (iDAPs). The iDAPs are provided for all licensed drugs for which the MHRA have received reports of suspected adverse reactions through the Yellow Card Scheme.The MHRA encourages online feedback from both healthcare professionals and patients and proactively engages with patients on a regular basis. Feedback from patients is used to make improvements to the Scheme and to the ways in which patients can report suspected side effects.

Social Services

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 11 February (HL13173) which stated that the "Social Care Green Paper remains a priority for this Government", how they define priority in this instance; and what are the Department of Health and Social Care's other priorities.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Building a sustainable care and support system where people understand their responsibilities and can prepare for the future is a key priority for this Government. It is important that people know that the care they receive will be to a high standard and will help them maintain their independence and well-being.The Department continues to work closely on the Green Paper. Minsters meet regularly with officials and ensure that other departments and key stakeholders are consulted regularly.In line with the Government’s planning and performance framework process, the Department’s priorities are published online in the Single Departmental Plan.The Department’s priorities for 2018/19 are that we will:- keep people healthy to support economic productivity and sustainable public services;- transform primary care, community, and social care to keep people living more independent, healthier lives for longer in their community;- support the National Health Service to deliver high quality, safe and sustainable hospital care and secure the right workforce;- support research and innovation to maximise health and economic productivity;- ensure accountability of the health and care system to Parliament and the taxpayer, and create an efficient and effective Department;- create value (reduced costs and growing income) by promoting better awareness and adoption of good commercial practice across the Department and our arm’s length bodies.The Department’s 2019/20 Single Departmental Plan will be published in due course in line with the usual processes.

Department for Education

Pupil Exclusions

baroness morris of yardley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, of the 15 per cent of schools in England who excluded at least one child in 2016–17, what percentage of those schools were (1) maintained schools, and (2) academies.

lord agnew of oulton: Data from the National Statistics release on ‘Permanent and fixed-period exclusions in England 2016 to 2017’ shows that 3,063 (14%) of state funded primary, secondary and special schools had at least one permanent exclusion in 2016/17. The table below shows the proportion of these that are maintained schools and academies by school type. The data in the table below is also available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england-2016-to-2017. Number of schools with one or more permanent exclusion% that are academies% that are maintained schoolsState funded primary1,02231%69%State funded secondary1,98166%34%Special6025%75%All schools3,06353%47%

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords: Bullying

lord foulkes of cumnock: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker how many complaints regarding bullying and harassment have been received since thereport by the Committee on Privileges and Conduct Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme: Changes to the Code of Conduct, published on 4 April, wasagreed by the House on 30 April.

lord mcfall of alcluith: On 30 April the House agreed to changes to the Code of Conduct for Members of the House of Lords that incorporated the Parliamentary Behaviour Code, which sets out the standards of behaviour expected of everyone who works within the Parliamentary Estate, and introduced provisions to deal explicitly with behaviour that constitutes bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct. Since then, there have been fewer than ten complaints of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct made against members of the House of Lords under the Code. To protect the confidentiality of those reporting complaints, and in line with Parliament’s publication policy for statistics under the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, the exact numbers are only provided where they are ten or more.

Ministry of Defence

Defence: Procurement

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security vetting procedures in place for suppliers of components for Ministry of Defence procurement contracts.

earl howe: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) places the highest priority on the security and safety of our personnel and equipment.The MOD's consideration of security matters associated with procurement contracts is defined by the Cabinet Office within the Government's Security Policy Framework. This framework is subject to periodic review to ensure it remains fit for purpose.

Department for Work and Pensions

Families: Disadvantaged

lord farmer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total budget of the Department for Work and Pensions for reducing parental conflict for 2019–20.

lord farmer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they haveallocated to reducing parental conflict in the lastfive years; and how much of that funding they have spent todate.

baroness buscombe: The Reducing Parental Conflict programme was announced in April 2017 as part of Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families. In the financial years 2017/18 and 2018/19, DWP spent approximately £21m on reducing parental conflict. Forecast spend for 2019/20 is £14.11m. Prior to 2017, DWP funded services which provided support for couples to improve their relationships, although these contracts were not specifically focused on parental conflict. £25m was spent on relationship support services between April 2014 and March 2017.

Pensioners: Means-tested Benefits

baroness blackstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of those in receipt of state pensions also receive other means-tested benefits.

baroness buscombe: In November 2018, 17 per cent of those in receipt of the State Pension were also in receipt of Pension Credit and / or Housing Benefit.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Import Controls: EU Law

lord rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to enact the provisions of the Official Controls (EU) Regulation 2017/625 when the UK leaves the EU.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government continues to prepare responsibly for all EU Exit scenarios, and as part of that Defra and the Food Standards Agency are currently considering the impact an orderly exit will have on the application of the new Official Controls Regulation (OCR) 2017/625 and its associated legislation. The Government is working together with the devolved administrations to ensure that the UK is prepared for any outcome in this policy area. However, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, we would not be required to implement the new OCR in December. Any future changes to official controls legislation would be based on the Government’s key regulatory principles of proportionate and risk based policy making and would reflect devolved competences in this policy area.

Home Office

Counter-terrorism

lord anderson of ipswich: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the post of Independent Reviewer of Prevent, provided for by section 20(8) of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, will be (1) classified as a public appointment, (2) included in the Schedule to the Public Appointments Order in Council, and (3) subject to the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

baroness williams of trafford: The Independent Reviewer will be a public appointment made Ministers. Short term appointments of this nature are not usually included in the Schedule to the Public Appointments Order in Council. Best practice with regards to public appointments will be followed as outlined in the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments 2016.

Surveillance: Cameras

lord anderson of ipswich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the commitment in the Home Office Biometrics Strategy, published in June 2018, to update the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice in collaboration with the Surveillance Camera Commissioner; when they expect the result of any updated Code; and whether such an update will include stronger guidance on the use of automatic facial recognition.

baroness williams of trafford: We are planning to update the Surveillance Camera Code by the end of the year, subject to consultation with stakeholders, coordination with the Information Commissioner’s update to their guidance on the related data protection issues, and obtaining the necessary parliamentary time.The Government believes that there is a legal framework for the use of live facial recognition technology. We are supporting the National Police Chiefs’ Council in developing operational guidance for the police, informed by the independent reviews of the trials.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 4 June (HL15866), whether they will now answer the question put; whether they have conducted a risk assessment for the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre; and if so, whether they will publish any such assessment.

baroness williams of trafford: Police Counter Terrorism Security Advisers have provided advice and guidance to the developers of the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, regarding terrorist threats and their mitigation, as they do nationally for significant new buildings and refurbishments. It would not be appropriate to publish assessments of threats and their mitigation.National Planning Policy in England requires the consideration of malicious risks to higher risk sites, and steps that can be taken to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience. Associated planning practice guidance provides greater detail on proportionate security measures, which are a central consideration to the planning and delivery of appropriate new developments and substantive retrofits.

Police: Finance

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the adequacy of financial resources available to police forces in England and Wales to enable those forces to fulfil their responsibilities.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government recognises that demands on police are changing and becoming more complex. Police funding increased by over £1bn this year, in-cluding council tax, the biggest increase since 2010, enabling the police to recruit more police officers and staff, tackle serious and organised crime and continue to protect the public from terrorism.

Police

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to seek evidence from each police force in England and Wales about any changes those forces may have made to operating decisions on their method of first response to complaints of (1) domestic burglary, (2) theft from the person, and (3) criminal damage.

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether police forces in England or Wales first respond by (1) text, (2) email, (3) phone-call, or (4) home visit, following any assessment of a complaint of burglary.

baroness williams of trafford: How police forces respond to particular crimes is an operational decision for the police. We have put policing back in the hands of the public through directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners and given Chief Constables greater operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities. Funding for the police will increase by over £1 billion in 2019/20, including council tax, extra funding for pensions costs, and a £100 million serious violence fund.In April, the Minister for Policing and the Fire Service chaired the first meeting of a new Burglary Taskforce which brings together the police, industry, charities and others to look at what more can be done to tackle this crime.

Offences against Children

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the capacity of every police force in England and Wales to investigate historic allegations of child sexual abuse.

baroness williams of trafford: We recognise that demand on the police is changing and more complex. That is why the 2019/20 police funding settlement provides the biggest increase in police funding since 2010. Police funding has increased by over £1billion.We have prioritised child sexual abuse as a national threat, one of six such threats in the Strategic Policing Requirement. This will facilitate prioritisation of capabilities to tackle this appalling crime.For 2018/19, the Home Office provided Special Grant Funding of over £12.5 million to child sexual abuse operations, including: Norfolk Police for Operation Hydrant, South Yorkshire Police for Operation Stovewood, North Wales Police for Operation Pallial, Cleveland Police for Operation Pandect and West Yorkshire Police covering a number of non-recent child sexual abuse investigations in the region.

Middle East: Refugees

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to discuss the development of a common policy amongst European countries to enableorphaned children who are citizens of those countries, who are currently in refugee camps in the Middle East, or are identifiable outside camps, to return to their countries of origin.

baroness williams of trafford: We continue to work closely with international partners to address the issues associated with Foreign Terrorist Fighters and their families.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Senior Civil Servants

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the appointment of Lindy Cameron as a new Director General at the Northern Ireland Office was a Foreign and Commonwealth Office initiative; what discussions they had with the government of the Republicof Ireland prior to that appointment; andwhether they will place a non-redacted copy of the mission-statementfor that post in the Library of the House.

lord duncan of springbank: The appointment of a new Director General to support the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Permanent Secretary of the Northern Ireland Office was a Northern Ireland Office initiative, made in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines and with established protocols for Senior Civil Service appointments at this grade. This appointment was approved by the Civil Service Senior Leadership Committee and Cabinet Secretary. Roles, responsibilities and salaries of the senior management team are published in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Recruitment

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Police Federation of Northern Ireland and thePolice Service of Northern Ireland about the level of police recruitment in Northern Ireland.

lord duncan of springbank: Policing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and operational capability is a matter for the Chief Constable. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland regularly engages with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to discuss their priorities. The UK Government provides the PSNI with the additional security funding it asks for and needs to ensure that they have the resource (including officers) to tackle the SEVERE threat from Northern Ireland related terrorism. PSNI received £230m additional security funding in the last parliament and £160m in this one. In addition, the UK Government has provided PSNI with £16.5m to help prepare for EU exit. This funding will help the PSNI manage pressures and contingencies arising from EU exit preparations which fall in the 2019/20 financial year. It will enable PSNI to recruit 206 additional officers this financial year.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Smart Devices

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to regulate the use of interconnected sensor technology in the UK private sector.

lord ashton of hyde: The Government recognises that the internet is increasingly a greater aspect of citizens' daily lives, such as through the growing prevalence of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. We recognise that compromised internet-connected devices can result in many forms of harm to the individual and the wider economy, and as such, we take the security of these devices very seriously. In recent months we have been focusing attention on securing connected ‘smart’ devices for use in the home. In May 2019, the Government launched a consultation on proposed regulation for consumer internet-connected devices. This advocated for a minimum security baseline centred around mandating the top three guidelines of the Code of Practice for Consumer IoT Security, published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in October 2018. We are now working through the wide array of responses to the consultation to further refine our policy proposals and will publish a formal consultation response and final regulatory proposal later this year.

Data Protection

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) use of, (2) effectiveness of, and (3) compliance with the information required by, the register of information sharing activity established under the Digital Economy Act 2017.

lord ashton of hyde: Information about 36 agreements have been recorded onto the register. The Review Boards for the Public Service Delivery and Debt and Fraud powers will assess the register as part of its review of the first year in operation of the powers. The reviews will be completed by the end of the summer. This will include its use, effectiveness and compliance.

Social Media: Bullying

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support social media companies to eradicate online bullying.

lord ashton of hyde: The joint DCMS-Home Office Online Harms White Paper, published on 8 April, sets out the government's plans for world leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. This includes establishing a new statutory duty of care to make companies take more responsibility for the safety of their users. Compliance with this duty of care will be overseen and enforced by an independent regulator. Companies will be held to account for tackling a comprehensive set of online harms, including cyberbullying. Alongside the White Paper, the government also published the Social Media Code of Practice, which sets out actions that the Government believes social media platforms should take to prevent bullying, insulting, intimidating and humiliating behaviours on their sites.

Sports: Corruption

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the levels of global corruption in sport.

lord ashton of hyde: Corruption in sport was a key part of the Government’s Anti-Corruption international summit in London in 2016. Subsequently, in December 2018, the UK hosted the first ever high-level meeting of the International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport (IPACS) in London. The IPACS partnership’s mission is to bring international sports organisations, governments and inter-governmental organisations together “to strengthen and support efforts to eliminate corruption and promote a culture of good governance in and around sport.” December’s meeting saw over 100 representatives from these stakeholder groups to discuss corruption risks around procurement linked to major sporting events; conflicts of interest in major events bidding and hosting; and international sports governance. The Government also signed the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions (Macolin Convention) in December 2018. The Macolin Convention is a multilateral treaty that aims to prevent, detect, and punish match fixing in sport.